Lock and Key
by Angel1029
Summary: Addie and Virginia are two sisters running from a bad past. On the way they encounter the newsies of Manhattan. It's rated T just to be safe. The story's a lot better than the summary, trust me.
1. Prologue

**I have not written in a while so I hope my writing's still good. Is it just me or are the new changes half good, half bad. I mean, it's weird, but cool…. I dunno.**

**Ok, disclaimer: I do not own anything that you have seen in the movie ****Newsies. ****If I did, I would be living in an awesome house or something!**

**Nenene**

Addie and Virginia.

Lock and Key.

A closed door and an open window.

Orphans.

All those described the two girls walking down Manhattan's main street. One with straight, blonde hair and the other with black, curly hair; neither wore their hair up, and instead chose to wear it down on their backs. They both wore white shirts and long skirts, as was common of the time. In all, they looked like common girls from a low-wealth family.

In truth, they were. They even used to have two wonderful parents to turn to whenever things got bad. Now, because of serious actions and consequences, they had no one.

"Where are we going?"

"I don't know Virginia. I just don't know."

Addie, the elder of the two, kept a hand on her little sister's shoulder as they walked down the street. She knew it was dangerous for two girls to be walking through Manhattan at night, but they needed to get out. Any longer in the orphanage home and she would go crazy. Even worse, her sister would be taken away from her and sent to some rich family in Queens. There was no way in he- never mind, she shouldn't be saying that right now. Right now she needed to get them somewhere safe, somewhere warm, somewhere nice.

"Hey Addie?

Addie hummed back absentmindedly.

"I think those guys are following us."

Addie spun around faster than a spinning top, nearly giving herself whiplash, "Where?"

"They just ducked behind the alleys. I can't see them now."

"Shoot! We need to move. Now!"

Virginia lurched as she was grabbed by her wrist and pulled along the street quickly. She looked behind her; she didn't see them anymore, maybe they left. Suddenly she slammed into her older sister as she stopped on a dime. Peering around Addie, Virginia saw a group of boys, the oldest seeming to be nineteen. She thought they seemed harmless but her sister was wary of everyone nowadays.

" 'ey! Where two pretty goils goin' a' such a time? Don' you knows it's dangerous ta' be out 'ere?"

"Excuse us," Addie politly demanded, still holding on to Virginia's shoulder, "but we need to go."

Virginia watched the exchange with interest, completely oblivious to the men coming up behind her. She let out a screech when a pair of strong hands grabbed her waist and lifted her up over their shoulders. Addie's hand was torn from her shoulder and she heard shouts of anger following. A gag was placed on her mouth and her hands were quickly tied up. She screamed at the top of her lungs for her sister. She heard shouts and yells from behind her, staying behind as the men carrying her ran forward.

"VIRGINIA!"

That was the last thing she heard before a rag was placed over her nose and she fell asleep immediately.

**Nononono**

"VIRGINIA!"

Addie rushed forward just to be stopped by many pairs of hands pulling her back.

"NO! Youse gonna be taken too!"

"Are youse crazy or somethin'?"

She pounded on someone's chest, demanding to be set free so she could go get Virginia, "She's my sister you idiots! Let me go!"

She sank to the ground, days of running and her sister's capture finally taking its toll on her, "Let me go."

As hard as she tried, a sob still escaped her lips, "_She's my sister!_"


	2. Three Years Later

"Mamma! Mamma! MAMMA!"

All of the newsboys in the lodging house were awake now because of Lock's screams. These were the only times that she would let anything slip about her past. Except to Racetrack. She would sometimes tell him of the times she and her sister used to have when their "Mamma" was alive. Of what she had told him, it sounded like it was the perfect family. He still had no clue as to why she would run away.

Quiet sobs filled the room as shudders took over the young girl's body. Heaving deep breaths, she wiped away the tears and tear-streaks from her face and lay back down on her pillow. She knew she woke the guys up, but she also knew they were used to it. After three years of living with them, they knew that nightmares were common.

She pulled herself out of bed, dropping with a quiet thud onto the floor below her. She had slept in a boy's shirt and pants, but that no longer bothered her. Now she didn't care much about clothing, she had more important things to worry about. Besides, they were loose enough to be semi appropriate.

After washing her face and putting on a skirt and blouse, she ran outside to meet up with the boys. She was given some bread and water by the nuns who were usually waiting for the kids by the Church, then followed the sound of laughter to the distribution center. "Weasel" and the Delancy brothers had come back after the old man left for family problems. It didn't bother her, not much did anymore. Still, it was fun to poke fun at him and the brothers. Especially when you got to see their face after they lost. Priceless.

"Lock! Nice of you ta' join us! Youse 'ungry?"

"Nah, tanks though!"

Mush shrugged, "Your loss."

Narrowing her eyes, Lock turned away from the words that brought back memories. Memories of nearly three years ago. In three days it would be three years; it was not something she was looking forward to.

Racetrack gave a quick glance at Mush before heading over to Lock. He wouldn't admit it, but he had a slight crush on her. He wouldn't admit it mainly because she was currently courting another, a rich kid from the wealthy side of Manhattan. He was slightly worried that the kid would break her heart. After all, he was a rich boy and she was a poor orphan girl and New York orphans usually had bad pasts. Their kinds just didn't mix, and if they did it usually ended badly.

He placed a hand on her shoulder and she immediately shrugged it off. She wasn't one for much affection; she handled problems on her own, whether the guys liked it or not. He backed off as the gates opened and let her go in first. He knew that she knew what he was doing when she turned to give him a pointed look before disappearing into the sea of boys. He mentally shrugged; she always knew.

**Gogogo**

Selling the morning papes went by quickly that day. Maybe it was the chance of rain or the coolness in the air, but something made the day fly by. Shouting out headlines and making up stories was fun, but after a while, it can get tedious. Lock decided to not meet the boys at Tibby's and instead wander around Manhattan. She saw ladies in their fancy skirts and hats parading the streets; gentlemen taking their hats off as a woman passed; young boys playing marbles and some girls playing hoops; she saw the picture perfect day in almost anyone's mind.

She was submerged in memories of her childhood, back when she and her sister played hoops in the streets alongside some of the neighborhood boys. She saw the small trees, all still babies compared to the large ones in the park. She saw the cobblestone streets and the tall lampposts. She saw her mother and father sitting outside the house and watching their daughters play with joy. She remembered when she and Virginia laughed at all the boys who got caught playing hide n' seek in Mrs. Grange's flower bed. She smiled fondly when she saw her mother reading Virginia one of her favorite stories. She grimaced while thinking of the scolding she got from her mother for riding a bicycle, borrowed from one of the boys down the street, and letting the lower part of her calf show.

She was broken out of her trip down memory lane by the rumbling of thunder and the shock of freezing rain upon her head. While ladies rushed to get under a covered area and the gentlemen gave the women shelter with their coats, she slowly started heading out of the East side and back to the lodging house. She figured she would just be getting wetter anyway so it didn't really matter. She ignored the strange looks people were giving her as she walked, drenched with raindrops, through the streets and alleyways.

"Addie! What are you doing out in the rain! Come on inside!"

Thomas, the boy she was courting, stood on the corner of the street, holding out his coat to her. She headed over to the corner, accepting the coat he held out. As she wrapped it around her body, he looked at her worriedly.

"You'll catch a cold if you stay out much longer. See, you're already drenched to the bone."

Lock smiled at his concern, "Ise fine, but tanks."

He merely nodded hesitantly and let her be. The two stayed on the sidewalk to avoid being splashed by carriages and horses that were passing by. Sticking close together, they huddled under a covered pavilion for shelter from the rain. He was one of the few people that Lock would do this with. Some of the newsies could convince her to get out of the rain as well, but that was about it.

The rain stopped after about half an hour and the evening sun came out, lighting up the ground and sky with a soft, golden light. Lock's blonde hair shone like polished gold in the light and Tom couldn't help but notice how much she looked like the angels in some of the pictures and paintings at Church. Apparently many other young men noticed the same thing as the couple walked along the street. Thomas knew that if he held her tight, she would fly away, but if he allowed her to fly on her own, she would stay. He also knew that she didn't care how anyone else thought of her; sometimes she didn't care what _he_ thought of her. So he was alright with their comments and hushed whispers about the angel at his side.

**Hihihi**

Thomas dropped her off at the lodging house after she refused to sleep at his house that night. The sky was now black and the stars shone brighter than diamonds, and when she looked up at the endless sky, she could see the vast galaxy for what it was: a beautiful, dark, endless mystery. The moon was nearly full and it looked like a yellow-orange sphere shining down on her. Lock stayed outside for a while, admiring God's raised creation from the ground, then slipped on inside to the bunkroom.

She pulled on her nightclothes in the bathroom and walked back to the bunkroom to lie down in her bed. Rolling to her side to stare out the window and look at the streets below her, she offered up a prayer to God before she went to sleep.

_God, please help me. Help me find my sister this time. Help me to do what I have to, to find her. Please, I miss her so much._

Every year, Lock would go on a search through all of Manhattan and beyond to find her sister. She would always do it around the anniversary of Virginia's kidnapping and at other times as well. So far she had found nothing, but she never gave up hope. She already gave up almost everything else; she wasn't about to let that one go too.

**So, how was it? This chapter was 1,266 words long; I'm pretty happy with how it turned out! Still, I would love it if you'd review!**


	3. Two Days 'Till

**I'm sorry if some of the characters are a little OOC, but I tried. Still, hope it's good!**

The morning sun shone through the windows, bathing everything in its golden light. Skittery and Mush stood at the foot of Lock's bed, pillows and a glass of water in hand. Mush, the one with the water, climbed up the side of the bunk bed to stare at the sleeping girl in front of him. He looked down at Skittery, who gave him a devilish grin, smiled back, and then dumped the contents of the glass onto the girl in the bed.

A bloodcurdling screech echoed through the lodging house and the two boys ran, half fearing for their lives.

"MUSH! SKITTERY! I will kill you!"

Their laughter filled every room and hallway as they ran from the soaking girl. Mush's smile nearly split his face in two and Skittery couldn't see because of the tears in his eyes. Both were laughing too hard to stop for a while and Skittery, still blind from his tears, fell on top of Mush, causing the pair to tumble down the stairs. As they sat, dazed, at the bottom of the stairs, Lock came up behind them, pillows in hand.

"Ack! Lock! Wha-?"

"Mmmphh! Nmph! NMM!"

Lock kept whacking Skittery with her pillow and smothering Mush's face with the other. Mush flailed his arms, trying to escape, and Skittery took his pillow and attacked Lock in return. Kloppman then walked calmly past the trio, completely ignoring any pleas for help.

The sixteen-year-old finally stopped abusing the two boys and offered a hand up to Mush, who was panting heavily.

"Youse crazy! You could've killed me!"

Lock rolled her eyes playfully, "You gonna take da hand or not?"

Mush reached to grab her hand, but instead, pulled her down and started tickling her sides.

"Mush! Stop- stop it!"

He continued tickling her mercilessly, causing her to laugh harder.

A handful of newsies stood in the background, watching them with interest. Some shook their heads at their antics but some were wondering how he could do that and still be alive.

**Bububu**

"Massive building takes a fall! Millions killed! Thank you miss, mister. Killer bees on the loose! "

The real story was that an older building was deteriorating and some people got slightly injured. The city was trying to find some way to fix it without paying a huge sum. The other was that a child had gotten stung by some bees near his home. The child's parents found a beehive in their attic. Sometimes Lock wondered how this stuff got in the papes; none of it was interesting or important.

"Mass prison breakout! Murders now on the loose!"

Lock sold one pape with that headline, froze and read the headline again.  
~

MARKERS PRISON BREAKOUT

Daniel Brook and Peter Marly are two of the known escapees. A total of seven convicts escaped from Markers Prison on June 17, 1901.

There was more but Lock just saw those words. Everything was in a daze as she repeated those words over and over again in her head.

"_No,"_ she whispered to herself, "no, no, no, it can't be-"

"Lock?"

She didn't even acknowledge Spot's presence, continuing to stare at the paper in shock.

"I-"

Spot laid his hand on her arm worriedly; he had never seen her behave in such a way before.

"Lock?"

Suddenly everything came back to her; memories first then the present. Lock was instantly overwhelmed with the sounds and smells that rushed at her like the heat of a fire when the wind blows. She spun on her heels, her hair whipping Spot in the face, and ran blindly down the street.

"Lock!"

Spot rubbed his face where her hair slapped him, then ran after the girl. He ran into people, not bothering to give an apology. He stopped when he realized he couldn't see her anymore and stood there in the middle of the street, staring in the direction she went, completely and utterly confused.

**Veveve**

"Jack! Where's Jack at?"

Race, Boots, Specs, Jake, Bumlets, and Kid Blink started at the Brooklyn leader's sudden intrusion of their game.

"No, we ain't seen 'er around 'ere. Why? Youse needin' somtin'?"

"Youse woik."

The six boys glanced at each other then back at the Brooklyn leader.

"Woik for what?

"Lock's gone runnin' an' I don' know where she's gone."

"So…"

Spot glared at Jake, as if he expected the Manhattan newsies to already know what was going on.

"Der was somtin' in da pape dat got 'er. She actually looked soita scared."

Race stood up, leaving all his cards on the table, "If she's actually hidin' from us, den she's gonna be at dat ol' run down 'ouse near da bridge."

**Lololo**

Short, uneven gasps and shuddering sobs all came from the girl huddled in the corner of the old building. She was curled around herself, drawing her knees to her chest as she cried her heart out. All the memories she tried to forget came rushing back every time she thought she was done. She thought she would have had no more tears left by now, but they still kept coming. The knees of her pants were wet with tears, as were the sleeves on her arms. Her blonde hair spilled over her shoulders, looking something like a blanket. It no longer shone like gold, but looked rather like a dull, pale yellow. It was as if all her sorrows fell upon her hair and turned it dark.

"_Daddy, no!"_

"_Leave her alone!"_

_The gleam of a knife shone in her eyes and she could not look away. The man holding it sliced at the woman in front of him, the one who lay on the floor, broken and bleeding. He lifted the knife then plunged it down, directly-_

"Lock! Where youse at?"

"Lock!"

"Yeah, where is you?"

The door to the room she was hiding in slowly creaked open.

"Lock..?"

Lock didn't bother to lift her head; she knew that he would come over anyway. She kept her head in the darkness of her arms as she thought about her mother, sister, and father. Father, hah! He was no longer her father. He no longer deserved to be called that. Not after what he did.

Racetrack looked sadly down at the crying girl in his arms. He could feel her exhaustion as she took shuddering breaths. He could feel the pain and sorrow radiating off of her and he knew that something was very wrong. Blink, Spot, Jake, and the rest of the newsies filed in. All gave sympathetic pats and looks to the girl in his arms. All were confused, but ready to help out in any way they could.

Blink decided to give it a try, "_Lock?_"

"He's my- he's _not_ me fadder."

"Who's you're fadder?" Boots looked to the other newsies for confirmation, but received nothing.

Lock handed out the paper while drying her eyes with her hands.

"He escaped yesterday. _Three days before da anniversery_…"

The last part was whispered to herself but some of the boys still caught on.

"Who? Daniel Brook or Peter Marly?"

"Brook."

"Uh," Spot shifted uncomfortably, "what 'appened?"

"He killed me mudder. And left me an' me sister to die. He ain't me fadder."

The newsies could only sit back and stare in shock.


	4. Late That Night

Lock opened her eyes and saw the bunkroom at the lodging house. She had a vague idea of how she got there, but decided to ask later.

"Guys, I tink she's awake."

Suddenly, Lock was surrounded by the lot of boys in the room. Some looked at her worriedly while some had a curiosity in their eyes, and she offered both groups a small smile. She attempted to sit up but Dutchy laid a hand on her shoulder.

"Ise fine."

Dutchy pulled his hand away at her reassurance, allowing her to fully sit up. She hugged one knee and let the other fall off the bottom bunk. She felt cold inside; cold and black.

"Lock?"

"Ise fine," came the short reply. As the boys started to protest she quieted them with a quick look, "But you don' believe dat, do ya?"

Almost all looked down at the floor, but Jack, Race, and Spot kept their gazes on the blonde girl. They knew she wasn't _fine_ but she wasn't helpless or weak either.

**Ninini**

Lock closed the door behind her as quietly as she could and walked down the dark street. She watched shopkeepers as they closed up after staying late hours and street cleaners sweeping up the last of the trash. The tall streetlamps lit the way as if guiding her to her destiny or doom. Moths and other insects hovered around the shining lamps and Lock longed to be like them, so close to the light. She felt herself sitting somewhere away from the light, but still far enough from the darkness to not be consumed by it. She remembered when she danced in the light, when all of her family was alive and well. Oh, how she missed those times.

She had the distinct feeling that she was being followed, so she would look over her shoulder every so often. She never saw anybody.

"Where youse goin'?"

Lock jumped at the voice that was suddenly right behind her. She knew that the owner of it was safe but that did nothing to settle the growing feeling of unease that was resting in her stomach.

"Way to scare a body, Higgins! Give a goil a warnin' next time!"

Racetrack stepped into the light of a streetlamp, cap and jacket on. He offered her a hand, silently asking her to take it.

"Come on, it's dark out 'ere. Youse can wait 'till tomorro'."

Lock stubbornly shook her head, "No, Ise lookin' for 'er tonight. Youse can't stop me."

"Den at least let me join youse."

Lock tipped her head slightly at his request then nodded and took off down the street.

**Lalala**

"Ise already looked on da west side an' da central area. Also looked in da lower Manhattan area too."

"So we look in da upper and east sides now?"

"Yup."

"Youse wanna split up?"

"Don' care; Ise can do jus' fine wit' or wit'out youse."

Race just smiled, "Les stay together. Jus' in case."

She nodded curtly, "Les go."

The pair of newsies walked down the street, looking remarkably like the couple that had walked down another street the night before. Lock felt confused and she didn't know why. It may have something to do with the newsie walking alongside her, but she wasn't sure. Something just felt different. They checked any building that they could get in and that they knew didn't belong to anybody rich, but had found nothing. Lock pointed out an older building, a two story with a basement, and they ventured on inside.

The inside was dusty, as was expected of a building of this one's age, but it looked like someone had been here recently. Footprints could be seen on the floor and the door handles were wiped clean of dust. Some of the beds looked like they had been slept in while some looked old and worn out, but it was obvious that someone had been here recently. Racetrack froze and grabbed Lock's arm to stop her. She turned to look back at him and saw his eyes were wide and wary. Lock almost asked what was wrong, but before she could voice her thoughts, she heard what Racetrack had heard. Snoring. She heard gentle snoring coming from down the hallway and louder snores coming from a few doors down.

Lock shoved all panic and worry down as far as she could push it, pulled herself together, and eased open the door. On the bed was a young man, black hair covered his eyes and ears and a small black beard hid his chin. On the floor, at the end of the bed, lay another male. This one seemed slightly older and had golden brown hair that was pulled back into a ponytail. He had lighter skin than the first male, but was still quite tan.

Lock stepped back in the hall and continued on down, oblivious to her friend hurrying beside her. At the end of the hallway, she came to a stop at the last door on the left and hesitantly pushed it open. The gentle snores had come from this room and were still being emitted by the sleeping figure on the bed. Despite Race's hushed protests, Lock walked forward to take a look at the person on the bed. She pulled back the covers that covered the person's head and took in the girl's features.

The girl looked a little younger than Lock, but at the same time, looked slightly older. She had black curls that draped across her face and along her body. Her skin was tan and her eyes were barely smaller than average.

Lock's hand flew to her mouth and her other soon joined it. Race noticed the sudden movements and came up to examine the girl in the bed.

"She's pregnant!" He exclaimed in a whisper, "Do you know her?"

Lock's shocked face had dissolved into her usual face, but still had a slight look of urgency on it. She ushered him toward the girl, motioning for him to pick her up. Race gave her a questioning look, but complied anyway. Just as he slipped his arms under her, she stirred.

Racetrack's breath caught in his throat as the girl blearily gazed at his face. She scrunched her nose in confusion, but didn't seem wary of the strange people in her room. Her gaze drifted across the room to the girl standing behind him and froze directly on her. The black haired girl muttered something under her breath before her face lit up in recognition. Her hand reached out to Lock and the blonde immediately grasped it. Both girls had tears streaming down their faces and Racetrack suddenly knew how the other girl knew Lock.

"Youse Virginia, ain't you?"

A thump sounded from one of the rooms down the hallway and all three people in the room jumped.

"_We gotta go!"_

Race grabbed the black haired girl and followed Lock out the building and into the street.

**Hehehe**

"How long youse been pregnant?"

"Bout three months."

"Who did it?"

The venom in Lock's voice was impossible to ignore and Virginia hung her head slightly.

"I don' remember exactly, but they took me in da middle of da night and had their way wit me."

Virginia's eyes filled up with tears that refused to fall and Lock felt the extreme urge to pull her little sister into a huge hug and never let her go.

"I know it ain't me fault, but I wonder if I could'a done anyting ta stop 'em."

Her voice shuddered and Lock then grabbed her sister in a hug and held her tight. Both girls embraced with tears running down both of their faces and Lock's thoughts were centered around 'Why her?' Race wasn't even there anymore; it was just the two Brook sisters; them and them only.

After they ended the hug, the two girls kept their hands clasped as they headed back to the lodging house, with Racetrack trailing behind them.


	5. Life's Twists and Turns

"Will youse love da baby?"

"Course! It don't matter who da father is, she's still mine."

"She?"

The fifteen-year-old, dark-haired beauty looked at her older sister with complete sincerity in her eyes.

"Is'a she! I knows it is!"

Despite the way this all began, both girls knew they had found a way to bring a little light into their lives. They would love the child along with all the newsboys. After all, Lock was going to make sure her little sister stayed with her and the boys.

Poor Racetrack had been following the sisters the entire time silently, receiving no recognition that he was there. His thoughts had started wandering and he was curious to see how the guys would take it. Another girl, this one pregnant, being brought into the Newsboys Lodging House? The keyword in that sentence being newsboys. News. Boys. Most of the other cities may have had a girl or two but most of them soon left, leaving Manhattan with the only girl newsie. At least, that's how it was as far as they knew.

His thoughts soon drifted to the older of the two girls. He still had a feeling that her lover was bad news and he didn't want Lock getting hurt. None of the boys did. Sure she could take care of herself, they all knew that, but he still worried just the same.

Race shook his head to clear the thoughts that hung in his head like cobwebs hung in corners. Maybe it was just jealousy that fueled his thoughts; maybe the other boy wasn't so bad after all. Since he seemed to make Lock happy, it was worth a tr-

"An' thank you too, um…"

"Da name's Racetrack, miss. Or Race if youse wannna."

Instead of letting him kiss her hand, she grasped his and shook it firmly before letting it rest at her side. Race smiled '_Another Lock.'_

**Sisisi**

The other guys had been surprised to see the newcomer, but they welcomed her with open arms. Snipeshooter even let her have his bed since it was on the bottom and she was pregnant. After a little while, it may get hard for her to climb to a top bunk.

Virginia seemed to fit in comfortably with all the boys and didn't seem bothered in the mornings at all. For the most part, she ignored the fact that she was a girl in the midst of twenty plus boys. All in all, everyone got along nicely.

She followed the crowd of boys to the distribution center and waited by her sister to get the papes. This was all new to her, but she didn't feel overwhelmed at all. In fact, she kinda enjoyed it. It was a nice change from darning socks and shirts that the other boys wore out and staying inside all day. The people she was last with definitely did not consider her an equal; to them she was a girl and girls did the sewing and were never seen.

"Now one of da first tings we need'a do is get youse a name."

Virginia was confused. She already had a pretty good name, so why did she need a new one?

"Why do I need a new name?"

"A newsie name!"

She turned her head at the new voice in the conversation. It was a younger, brown haired boy, who was followed by an older, dark brown, curly haired boy.

"I'm Les!"

She smiled brightly and stuck out her hand, "Nice ta meet'cha!"

He took it and pointed behind him at the older boy, "That's David, my brother."

Lock made a point of re-entering the conversation, "We call 'em da Walkin' Mouth."

"So what's my name?"

"Key!" Les piped up.

"Key?"

"Key."  
"Why?"

"Uhh…"

David came to his brother's aid, "Maybe like Lock and Key?"

The two girls exchanged glances before Lock answered for her sister, "Sounds good ta me!"

Virginia, wanting to be included in choosing her name, nodded, "Sure!"

"Kay, Key, let's go sell some papes!"

**Kekeke**

After a tiring morning of selling papes, everyone decided to meet at Tibby's for lunch, as usual. The building was filled with the talking and laughter of the newskids and other working children of Manhattan.

"-an' 'e fell! Landed right in da mud, face foist! Youse should'a been der!

"Shaddup!"

A red-faced Blink was the center of attention for the day. After a rather boring morning, he ended up bumping into an elderly lady's purse and getting blamed for trying to steal. He had tried to convince her that it wasn't him, but she called the coppers on him anyway. He ended up running away while a laughing Mush stumbled after him. Mush didn't see much, he laughed so hard he cried, but he remembered when Kid Blink face planted into a huge mud puddle right across from The World building. He only laughed harder.

Now Blink sat in one of the chairs throwing his napkin at Mush's head to try and get him to shut up. Mush took one look at the mud-covered boy and just laughed even harder.

"Youse knows what? Dat's it."

Blink jumped on Mush, tackling him out of his chair and onto the ground. The two boys wrestled and tumbled around on the floor for a good five minutes before Jack decided to break it up.

"Come on, you two. We's at a restraunt . Try ta act civ'lized."

"Aww, Jack. Youse ruined all da fun."

Choruses of 'Aww' echoed Snoddy's words and Jack pointed toward the owner.

" 'e was makin' his way over. Youse don' wanna get kicked out do youse?"

Silence greeted his words but you could see understanding in their eyes.

"Yeah," Jack nodded when he saw realization dawn on their faces, "didn't tink so."

Soon after, Tibby's was once again filled with laughter and talking from the kids. Everyone swapped stories of that day and many days before. No one was excluded from conversation and everyone found something that they could say. It was a lively bunch and all the other customers soon found themselves laughing along with the newskids.

Everyone piled out of the building to find that it had rained a little while they were in there eating. The air smelled cleaner and the ground was damp and a little mushy in places. They were quite a sight, everyone walking back to the distribution center for the afternoon papes, and many pedestrians stopped to watch the bunch. A bunch of boys and two girls all goofing off and running down the street certainly caught their eye.

About a fourth of the newsies went back to the lodging house, claiming they were done for the day, while the rest parted ways. Even though they wouldn't be selling together, Jack, Itey, Snipeshooter, Racetrack, Skittery, Key, and Lock all ended up walking with each other for a while.

"Lucky."

"Wha's lucky?"

Lock pointed back to the direction they came from, "Da udder boys; dey done for da day. Dey don' need ta woik anymore; gots all da money dey need."

Itey nodded, he understood. If they didn't have to sell the afternoon pape, they must be rich!

The bunch passed the Horace Greenly statue and paused for a moments rest. Lock found herself people watching while Jack struck up a conversation. She watched as a mother berated her child for getting her new dress soiled. She saw an elderly man talking with his friends about the 'good ol' days'. She even spent her time watching a young couple walk by and the boy giving the girl a flower. Almost any people were interesting to watch. She decided to turn her attention to the conversation to see if anything interesting was being shared.

"Nah, Ise tinkin we'd end up fallin' off da top of da World buildin' an' land in da river."

Ok, never mind.

Lock turned to watch the couple again, boredom catching up to her, and she noticed that the boy looked like someone she knew. The two lovers shared a kiss and she leaned forward a bit, as if that would help her see, and tried to figure out where she had seen him before.

" 'ey Lock!" Skittery shouted, "Join in would ya!"

Key, who had quickly gotten used to her new name and everyone else's, agreed enthusiastically, "Yeah! Come on, Lock, please? I'll bet youse can come up with sometin'."

Lock had been looking back at the couple and only barely heard what the others were saying. She suddenly realized where she knew the boy from.

"One minute," she muttered absentmindedly to friends as she walked toward the couple on the street, "I be right back."

The guys and Key exchanged looks then turned to watch Lock. Itey and Skittery shared the same confused look but most everyone else was curious to see what she was going to do. When Key called out to Lock, the older girl just waved her hand back at them and continued on her path. Key shrugged and ran to catch up with her sister, as did Race, Jack, and Skittery. Itey and Snoddy just decided to wait for them at the statue.

" 'ey fellas," Race called out as they got closer, "ain't dat da boy she's courtin'?"

Noticing that to be true, the boys picked up their pace and headed straight for him.

Meanwhile, Lock had gotten but a few feet from Thomas. She didn't know what she was going to do, but she knew she wasn't happy. He had said that when they turned eighteen and nineteen, he would propose and she had agreed. Now she wasn't sure if he had lied to her the whole time or not. She stood right beside the boy she had courted, wondering what to do. She quickly made up her mind when he and the other girl turned to face her.

"Lock! Uh, how are you?"

In response, she kneed him in the groin and elbowed him in the stomach. The girl stood by, shocked, then seemed to realize what happened.

"What are you doing?" She tried to pull Lock away from the fallen Thomas, "Stop!"

The boys arrived at this moment and some pulled her off of Lock while others grabbed Thomas by the scruff and pulled him up.

" He's been lyin' ta ya. Both youse an' our goil 'ere."

The girl glared at them and demanded he be set free, "He would never do that to me!"

Skittery looked down at the boy in his grasp, "Youse shore 'bout dat?"

The girl just stared at him for a minute before turning her gaze to Thomas. She stared at him for a few minutes while the newsies waited impatiently behind her. Looking at Lock then back at Thomas, she took a deep breath and hit him on the head with her parasol.

"Whoop!"

Jack shouted in triumph and the girl flounced away, leaving Thomas with the newsies. Lock shot a glare at Thomas and if looks could kill, he would be dead forty times over. She stormed off with her sister following right behind her and the boys decided to stay for a few minutes more.

"Dis should teach youse not ta mess wit' one of _our_ goils."

Thomas knew he was dead meat as the guys started closing in.


	6. Shaken

**I'm finally getting back to writing now, so I'm hoping to finish ****Lock and Key**** and ****Four**** as well. Hopefully I can still write pretty well and the stories won't seem too awkward….. Wish me luck!**

**Nenenene**

Key ran after her sister, letting the boys deal with Thomas. She knew her sister and knew that she was hurting, but that she wouldn't want anyone to know. Only problem was, she didn't know her sister or the city well enough to know where she would hide.

The sky was turning dark, twilight was coming up, and Key was still searching for her missing sister. She had denied the help of the newsies for fear that Lock would only hide more. They had suggested a house near some bridge but she had forgotten already. It didn't really matter anymore, she was near the only bridge she knew of that had any chance of known to Lock.

"Lock! Where are youse? Lock?"

Receiving no response, Key yelled, in the loudest voice she could, "Addie Brook! Youse bedder come out righ' now!"

Nothing.

"She'd be in dat 'ouse ovah' der"

Key jumped at the voice behind her and turned to find a band of newsies standing there. She held her hand on her heart as she waited for it to stop pounding, and, when it did, she swung at the nearest newsie, hitting David hard on the arm.

Though he did nothing more than grunt and rub his arm, she knew he would have a bruise there in a couple of hours.

"Don' do that!"

A few newsies smirked; whether it was because she was scared or because she punched David in the arm, Key wasn't sure. She simply glowered at them until they looked away, and she followed Racetrack into the house.

"Addie?"

"What?"

Once again, Key jumped at voice behind her, this one quieter though.

Lock stood at a window that looked out over the river and made no other indication that she knew Key was there.

Key smiled sadly at her older sister and went over to stand next to her. A few seconds passed before both sisters grabbed the other in a hug.

"He wasn't worth it."

The statement sounded more like a question to Key, and she nodded and repeated,

"He wasn't worth it."

Racetrack, who stood at the doorway, figured they wanted some time alone. After all, they hadn't been able to talk much about anything since they had been reunited. There were always newsies flocking about. He shooed the other newsies out and then followed them to wait for the girls outside. He figured they'd be waiting a while.

**Bobobobo**

Months later, Lock and Key stood waiting at the distribution gate at the crack of dawn. Over the past few months, both girls had grown and so had Key's baby. There had been no extreme activity and everything had calmed down to normal.

This particular day was a Sunday, and the girls had forced the boys to not work. Instead, they were just going to hang out and have fun. Lock was determined to learn some flips and tricks, and how to fight. Well, fight better than she could already. Key wanted to as well, but she was worried about hurting the baby or herself, no matter how others convinced they were safe.

"Dey comin' soon?"

The older girl looked at her sister and sighed.

"Dunno, dey should come soon," Lock shrugged and continued, "but who knows wha' der doin' now. Prob'ly left us."

Key smiled and placed a hand on her growing belly, "She's getting' impatient too."

Lock placed her hand next to her sister's and a huge grin nearly split her face in half, "Yep, she's kickin'!"

As they struck up a conversation, the boys arrived, having gratefully slept in that day.

Snipeshooter waved to an unhappy looking man and received a withering glare in return. He shrugged; people usually just thought of newsies as 'good for nothing street rats'. Didn't bother him- that was their problem. He sauntered up to the girls and tipped his hat cockily. He received a whap in the head for his smug attitude. He just laughed.

The air was cool and the day off was helping all of their spirits rise. Everyone chattered animatedly as they walked to the park in a large group. Some split off before they reached it, and some continued walking after they got there, but Lock, Key, Racetrack, David, and Snipeshooter all remained together.

Racetrack and Snipeshooter offered to help Lock with the tricks and fighting while David, being the 'older brother', sat and talked with Key while kept an eye on the trio.

"Kay," Race instructed Lock, "run an' we'll flip ya'"

"An' Ise supposed ta trust youse?"

"Yea'"

Lock just rolled her eyes, backed up, and, after receiving the 'go ahead' nod, ran straight at the boys.

Race caught her as she started flipping and helped her finish the rest of the way. This was the only thing he could think of, right off the top of his head, that Lock was a little apprehensive about. Flipping- even the easy ones.

He steadied her as she stumbled out of the landing and Snipeshooter demonstrated another flip. He watched as she attempted it herself and landed hard on her rear. He laughed as she stood up wincing and listened to Snipeshooter's corrections. He managed a smug smirk as she smiled brightly in his direction; sure she was going to make the next one. He laughed again when she fell, but rose with a determined look on her face. He knew she was not giving up any time soon.

**Vavava**

Key winced along with Lock when she fell the first time, then let her eyes stray to Racetrack. She could tell that he liked Lock, even if Lock was blind to it all herself. She turned to David, who had also been watching the other two try and teach Lock to flip.

"So," David broke the silence, "what are you going to name her?"

Key looked down and, out of habit, put her hand on her belly, "I'm not sure; what do youse tink?"

"I don't know; she's your child."

Key hummed in response, breaking off suddenly as Lock cried out. Key looked up to see her sister on the ground with Race and Snipeshooter kneeling next to her. Snipeshooter looked up and waved them over. As she and David got closer, she saw that Lock was holding her neck in pain while Racetrack was trying to make sure she stayed flat on the ground.

"What happened?" David asked as he, in turn, knelt down next to Lock.

"Ise ain' sure," Racetrack glanced toward Snipeshooter who shrugged, "she did some flip an' came outa' it all wrong. 'urt 'er neck."

"Ah-" Lock gasped, "I'll be fine…ugh.. 'll be fine…"

"I still think you should-"

David was cut off by Racetrack saying, "Youse ain't fine; youse goin' to someone who can 'elp ya."

With that, he lifted her in his arms and led the way down the street.

**Cocococ**

They found the Sisters' convent and they were more than willing to help. They advised she stay there for a night or two so they could check up on her, but Lock was having none of that. All together, everyone managed to force her to let someone carry her back to the Lodging House, where she would stay bedridden for at least a whole day. It did take everyone. Lock was already trying to make it up to the Sisters; she didn't like being in debt. Key told her to listen to them and that was probably the best way to make it up to them, and that she was _sure_ they weren't being an inconvenience.

Word had gotten back to the newsies and the five found a crowd waiting for their return at the Lodging House. They eagerly listened to the story and were rather disappointed that nothing extremely exciting had happened. Most did offer Lock a sympathetic glance and a few gave her a pat on the shoulder or head, but those who knew she didn't really like sympathy stayed away.

Everyone slowly filed out of the Lodging House and went back to work, while Lock, being Lock, was already bored of staying in bed; she had been there for a whole three and a half minutes. After attempting to get up for nearly half an hour, Lock finally stayed in bed after Key threatened to sit on her to keep her down.

The rest of the twenty-four hours passed slowly for Lock, but the minute she was cleared to get up, she shot out of the bed and ran out the door. Her neck still hurt like you'd never believe, but she was plenty ready to get out of the Lodging House.

The crisp November air blew and colorful leaves flittered in the breeze as Lock walked around outside. It was the most beautiful day she had seen all year.

She decided to cut through a small alley and head over to Brooklyn to chat for a while with Spot.

_Crunch_

Lock spun on her heels and put her fists up at the sound of someone stepping on metal behind her.

The alley was silent. Dead silent, without another soul in sight.

The sun was suddenly obscured by a large mass of clouds and a shiver ran through Lock's core that chilled her to the bone. In a few seconds, it all passed and everything seemed just fine again. Lock looked about warily and turned to head to Brooklyn once more.

She hadn't even taken five steps before she felt someone grab her arm and pull her close. She tried to twist out of their grip, but that resulted in her pinching a nerve in her neck, leaving her neck immobile. Lock could only stare straight ahead as the person, a man, put his lips by her ear with his beard brushing the top of her shoulder, and whispered,

"_Your daddy wants you_."


End file.
